


advice, and something more

by WattStalf



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Love Confessions, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mild Smut, like there's a brief kind of vague sex scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 03:21:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10549216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WattStalf/pseuds/WattStalf
Summary: Ryoma comes to rely on Azama for advice, and then...





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> This was a commission! Early parts of the story are based on the supports the person who commissioned me wrote, so please check those out!  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/10363962  
> Anyway, I had fun with this, so I hope you like it!

The two of them would be an unlikely pair in anyone’s eyes and, certainly, neither of them expected to get closer. Azama is Ryoma’s sister’s retainer, and so that’s all he should be to the prince, and, for some time, that’s exactly what he is. He can’t deny being slightly intrigued by the man, if only because he’s heard a few interesting stories, but other than that, there is nothing between them. There shouldn’t  _ be _ anything between them, but during the war, something changes.

It is not long after Corrin returns to them, when the change occurs. It’s due to her suggestion that people find themselves fighting alongside those they wouldn’t normally, and Ryoma can’t say he disagrees with the potential benefits it holds, though he must admit he never thought he’d see a day where he’d find himself fighting alongside retainers who were not his own.

But Corrin finds other places for Kagero and Saizo, and wants he and Azama to battle together. She’s pleased when Ryoma admits that they work together well, and that her new strategy might have some merit, and that is how it all begins. At first, they still keep their distance off the battlefield, having no real need for the other’s friendship, but one day, when Ryoma is faced with a difficult decision, he finds himself seeking out the monk, wondering if he can offer some advice.

He isn’t sure exactly why he goes to him; perhaps because he thinks the man might have some insight he might not have thought of, or perhaps just because he isn’t sure if he wants to let anyone too close to him know that he’s struggling with a decision. Either way, he goes to Azama, sharing his concerns with the man, who answers him quickly and simply.

Ryoma is a bit surprised at the way the man doesn’t hesitate, but the more he listens to his words, the more he begins to think that he has a point. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, going to the monk for advice, but it’s certainly turned out to be more productive than expected. After he’s had time to think on it, he decides to follow through with it, and decides that the next time he needs guidance that it might be best to talk to Azama again.

~X~

This is how the unlikely pair become friends, as the prince comes to rely on Azama whenever there’s something troubling him. Whether it’s more matters regarding leadership, or something more personal, like a fight with a sibling, he relies on the other man’s guidance more and more, until it becomes common for him to seek him out outside of battle, knowing very well where to find him at this point.

However, he doesn’t really count on wanting to see Azama even when he doesn’t have anything to ask him about, and it’s hard for Ryoma to just make something up, afraid that whatever lie he comes up with will be seen through immediately. He doesn’t even know  _ why _ he wants to come up with an excuse so badly, but he tries to think of something anyway, deciding that, if advice doesn’t work, he can always find  _ some _ reason to talk to Azama.

Finally, he comes up with what he thinks is decent enough and is surprised he didn’t think of it sooner. Every time he's gone to see Azama, the monk has been meditating, and Ryoma is one who knows the value of meditation. There wouldn't be much room for talking, but if the two of them were to meditate together...well, he certainly thinks that would be pleasant.

“You don’t mind if I join you, from time to time?” he asks.

“I don’t see why not. You’ll make a lot less noise like this than you do always pestering me for advice,” replies Azama, and he immediately feels guilty and almost apologizes, only to notice the teasing grin at the last second.

Ryoma chuckles and says, “No promises that I won’t need your guidance again someday, of course.”

“At this point, I’ve come to count on it.”

The two fall into silence, but Ryoma’s thoughts rest squarely with the man at his side. Lately, they’ve been spending so much time together, and still, he always finds himself wanting to spend more time with Azama. This isn’t something that’s ever happened to him before. Whether it’s with his siblings or his retainers, he’s always been able to spend just  _ enough _ time with them, never having to want for more, never feeling like he needs to see them when they’re apart. Up until now, he’s been perfectly content, but things are strange now.

He feels restless and lonely one moment, and considerably happier the next, and the only common factor in his shifts in moods is Azama. Whether it’s just based on how he’s thinking about the monk, or if they’re together or not, he always feels something strange and different, and that is all Ryoma can focus on today, wondering what it is that draws him to a man he should have nothing in common with.

It becomes a regular habit, meditating side by side, but he doesn’t feel any closer to uncovering why it is he feels the way he does. This is something so different than anything he’s ever experienced in his life, and Ryoma definitely isn’t used to experiencing something he doesn’t understand. All he knows is that he values any time spent with Azama more than time spent without, and that this is getting out of hand.

~X~

But in the end, despite all the time he spends puzzling over it, it’s Azama who figures things out first, and rather than coming out and saying anything, or bothering to ask Ryoma if he’s experiencing the same thing, he goes for a much more direct approach. Perhaps he’s just incredibly sure of himself, already knowing that his suspicions are correct, but he takes Ryoma by surprise either way.

The prince would never go so far as to admit to anyone, but it’s his first kiss.

~X~

“Now are we going to finally address what’s going on between us?”

“I wasn’t aware that there was anything going on between us.”

“I know you’re not that stupid,” Azama teases. “You didn’t come to see me constantly for no reason. You know others tend to avoid me, don’t you?”

“They just don’t know how to tell when you’re kidding.”

“Yes, well, it’s very rare to find those who do.”

“You don’t honestly think that we could…”

“What? Pursue a relationship? I’d say you’re the one better versed in what we can and can’t do.”

“I wasn’t even thinking about what others would say. I only meant...the two of us? Would something like that really work? You and I...I shouldn’t have to list all of our differences.”

“Yes, yes, a prince and a lowly monk, I understand. Honestly, the fact that you’re even considering tempting such a holy man…”

“I never said anything about trying to tempt you.”

“I know how you look at me.”

The second kiss is much longer than the first, and there isn’t anymore talking. Nothing really gets resolved, and Ryoma only hopes that no one happens upon them like this. It wouldn’t be any good for rumors about his relationship with the monk to spread when he has no idea what their relationship even is.

~X~

He goes back like he always does, and Azama is waiting for him- and this time, Ryoma knows that he’s waiting for him, specifically. There is still much to discuss, considering neither of them were able to do much talking the day before. He can’t say that he understands where they’re supposed to go from this point, or if there is anywhere for two men like them to go.

The fact that he’s possibly,  _ potentially _ begun to fall for Azama is...certainly something, though Ryoma isn’t sure what that something is, nor is he sure what it is that the other man is feeling. To say that there’s something going on between them does not exactly imply that they’re on the same page, but when he gets close like that…

It’s hard to keep his wits about him, or find the words to have a proper discussion.

Ryoma sets out with the intent of actually working things out, but that doesn’t go to plan. At all. In fact, ending up a tangle of limbs in the grass is so opposite the plan that Ryoma doesn’t know where to begin, nor does he know how they got so off course. After spending so long ignoring what was developing and suppressing his feelings, now it’s as if his body is forcing him to make up for lost time, and Azama seems amused enough to play along. He  _ seems _ amused enough, but Ryoma thinks he might know him well enough to tell that he wants it just as much.

“You might want to consider showing me to somewhere a little more private,” Azama murmurs.

“That does seem like the best idea,” he replies, even as he tells him that it most certainly  _ isn't  _ the best idea. But that's what they do, and if anyone thinks anything of the two retreating to Ryoma’s room, nothing is said. It must seem innocent enough, given the fact that it's the middle of the afternoon. Naturally, what occurs between them is not innocent in the slightest.

~X~

It's only by the third visit that Saizo says anything. “I just wonder what it is you need to see that man so often for, if you'll forgive my boldness.”

Of course, Ryoma shouldn’t have put it past him to notice, but he’s suddenly very grateful that the ninja must be respecting his privacy enough not to spy in his room. If he had seen anything, he’s sure the other man wouldn’t be able to hold his tongue this much. “I find his council to be very useful.”

“Surely you’re aware of his reputation. I’m not sure that it’s a good idea to take everything he says to heart.”

“I’m very aware of his reputation. I trust myself enough to know what to take seriously.”

“If you’re sure...I’m not saying that I doubt you. You know that I only look out for your well-being.”

“I know, and I appreciate your caution. There’s nothing to worry about.”

He only wishes he had a better idea of his own situation, even as he reassures Saizo.

~X~

“Your ninja gave me a rather thorough interrogation yesterday,” says Azama, on the same day.

“And what did you tell him?”

“Oh, I was very vague. In the end, I told him that if he really wanted to know, he needed to ask you, that I would  _ never _ talk behind your back. He got very angry at that remark.”

“You like a little too happy about that.”

“He’s just a very easy target.”

Ryoma takes a deep breath before he says, “He does have a valid question.”

“And that is?”

“We never addressed what exactly it is that’s going on between us.”

“You never seem much in the mood for talking lately. I assume you’re just stressed?”

“That isn’t…” He can feel himself flushing. “That’s not the only reason, I’m not…”

“You’re not just using me? What a relief!” says Azama with a laugh.

“Can’t you take this one thing seriously?” Ryoma tries not to allow himself to become frustrated. “I don’t want to go on like this, not knowing what any of it means.”

“Does it have to mean anything? As things are, we can only carry on in secret regardless of what we are, right? There doesn’t seem to be much point in trying to define things.” Sometimes, he admires the way Azama can brush everything off, and other times, it irritates him to no end.

“Nobody said anything had to be a secret!”

“And you want everyone to know that the two of us have been sleeping together? That you’ve been seeing your little sister’s retainer under the guise of seeking advice, all while a war has been going on? I thought you would want to keep that to yourself.”

The way he says it is blunt, almost cruel, but Ryoma knows what he means by it. As a leader, he knows he shouldn’t be able to afford such a luxury as an affair, and that coming out about it could reflect badly on him. Even so, that doesn’t mean he’s comfortable leaving it so undefined, even if nobody knows besides the two of them.

“Even if it only stays between us, my point still stands. I want to know your feelings...just as you deserve to know mine.”

“My my, is this some sort of confession?”

“And what would you say if it was? If I said that I’d fallen for you, somehow?” It’s his first time truly admitting it to even himself, but Ryoma knows it to be true.

There is a moment of hesitation, the first time he can recall Azama not having a quip at the ready, and when he does speak, his tone is different. “If we’re really being serious here, I...have to confess that I’ve fallen for you as well.”

Ryoma isn’t sure if the words are unexpected or not, but they are so very welcome. Still, he can’t stop the teasing smile from breaking out as he says, “Such a surprise to hear this from someone who claims to be unconcerned with earthly matters.”

“Something you’re going to have to learn about me is that I am a fantastic hypocrite. So. What do we do now?”

“I suppose we keep on as we have. Perhaps when the war is over…”

“Yes, perhaps then things can be a little different.”

~X~

“Enthusiastic” is not a word Ryoma expected to use to describe the other man, but he does make quite the enthusiastic lover. No matter what role he decides to play- and somehow, it is always his decision and he guides Ryoma along through his whims- he takes it up with enthusiasm until the two of them are left exhausted.

Tonight, after managing to sneak in undetected, he has Ryoma bent over, letting out a pleased noise that is something like a hum with each thrust. As for the prince, he’s buried his face to muffle his own noises, still not comfortable with the fact that he actually  _ whimpers _ like this. Biting his own lip does nothing to silence him, so he has to settle for muffling himself, but Azama will likely still tease him later, whether he can hear him properly or not.

As much as he shouldn’t  _ need _ this, he  _ does _ , and only his pride keeps him from begging, though he has no doubt that he’ll be made to beg one of these days, knowing the other man. Knowing that they’re going to be at this for a while, that the two of them are...something. He still doesn’t have a proper name for that, but there’s time to name it, he knows, and that time is not right now.

His breathing grows more and more staggered, and Azama picks up his rhythm until he’s fast and steady, and, gods help him, he isn’t sure if he’s going to be able to outlast the monk this time. More and more often, the other man has been able to finish him first, mocking him playfully for his endurance slipping. Really, he’s just learning all of Ryoma’s little weaknesses, and he never thought he’d be so damn  _ happy _ to have someone know such things about him.

~X~

Their victory is hard won, but it comes to them nonetheless, and that is when Ryoma knows that it’s time to think about what he’s going to do now. His people are filled with happiness, and for a brief time, he feels less pressure, like he can really breathe for once. If he’s going to go public about his relationship, he knows that now is the best time, and, after sticking with Azama for this long, he knows that he’s going to have to go public about it.

They’re just as close as ever, if not moreso, and there’s no denying that this is the man he’s going to be with, now and forever. Now that he’s a bit more free to be open about pursuing a relationship, he wants everyone to know that this is the one he’s chosen, and he wants to truly be with Azama, as officially as possible.

Corrin has everyone gather around when he insists on it, and even though he hasn’t told Azama a thing, the man looks at him so knowingly that he must have his suspicions about what’s happening. A grand gesture like this doesn’t really suit either of them, but after waiting this long, it seems like the most appropriate way to go about things.

“I’ve thanked you all countless times for your efforts to end the war, but I’ll thank you all again. I don’t feel like I’ll ever be able to thank any of you enough, for your support and your strength, and the help you’ve given Hoshido. All of you have played an important role, but today...today I want to acknowledge someone who was, and is, especially important to me.” Turning to Azama, he says, “I don’t know where I would be without your advice, and without simply having you as someone to lean on. Forgive me for doing this in front of everyone, but I want them all to know just how much I appreciate you...and love you.”

The gasps that go through the crowd are so dramatic that some  _ must _ be fake, but Ryoma doesn’t care about any of their reactions right now. Taking the hand of the monk, he says, “Even now that the war is over, I want you to stay by my side, so that we can rely on each other. Would you do me the honor of marrying me?”

Now he  _ knows _ the gasp, that is equal parts surprised and angry, from Saizo is genuine, and he can’t help cracking a smile, though he keeps his eyes entirely on Azama. The other man is smirking as well, clearly getting a kick out of that reaction, but the two try to keep this serious, knowing that they’ll have plenty of time to laugh about that when they’re alone. Azama must be rubbing off on him, for him to enjoy messing with others so much.

“I’m being proposed to by royalty, so how on earth could I say no?” he teases. “But, even if that weren’t the case...my answer would still be yes.”

They have much to deal with before they can actually be alone together, as they’re swarmed with questions on all sides, as everyone tries to figure out when this began and  _ how _ it began. Some think it’s an elaborate prank, while others claim they could have seen this coming from a mile away. Between Saizo and Hinoka, Ryoma isn’t sure if they’re ever going to get everyone calmed down.

~X~

For a royal wedding, it’s still a quiet affair, as neither of them are keen on making a big fuss out of things. There are still many guests in attendance and it is still talked about throughout the kingdom, but Ryoma does what he can to keep it as peaceful as possible. Now that he has peace to spare, he thinks he’s going to enjoy getting to relax with his husband from time to time, and he’ll always appreciate having the man he relies on for guidance by his side as he rules over Hoshido.

The two of them are an unlikely pair, but somehow, fit perfectly nonetheless.


End file.
